German engineering orders fall 5% in August amid absence of big contracts
VDMA said domestic orders fell 2% and foreign bookings 6% as the sector lacked large contracts and new investment momentum.
- Orders in Germany's mechanical and plant engineering sector fell 5% in real terms in August, as the absence of large-scale contracts weighed on demand after two months of growth, VDMA said on Oct 5.
- Despite the August decline, the sector posted a 4% increase in Orders for the first eight months of 2026, though VDMA chief economist Johannes Gernandt noted this was partly due to weak prior-year comparison and large contracts booked in March and June.
- Domestic Orders declined 2%, while Foreign bookings fell 6%, revealing weakness across both local and international markets for Germany's mechanical engineering firms.
- Gernandt warned that "there is still a lack of new investment momentum that would point to a sustained economic upswing," signaling continued caution for industry recovery.
- In the less volatile three-month period from June to August, Orders rose 7% in real terms from a year earlier, suggesting underlying stability despite the recent monthly contraction.
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Large orders are missing in August and the industry feels the damper. What this means for production and utilization of the plants - and when growth is expected again.
German engineering orders fall 5% in August amid absence of big contracts
Orders in Germany's mechanical and plant engineering sector fell 5% in real terms in August from a year earlier, as the absence of large-scale contracts weighed on demand after two months of growth, industry association VDMA said on Monday.
Large orders are missing in German industry in August. The VDMA industry association speaks of a weak location and is poking for reforms. What this means for production, utilization and growth.
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